Din over Shinde jab, inside, outside House

Imphal, Dec. 20: Trinamul Congress leader I. Ibohalbi Singh today questioned whether Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s comment on the Manipur Assembly resolution on the inner line permit being insensible amounted to contempt of the House and breach of privilege.

“This (statement) is serious reflection on the image of the Manipur Assembly. We want a ruling from the Speaker, deciding whether it is breach of privilege and contempt of the House or not,” Ibohalbi Singh said.

The Assembly adopted a resolution on July 13 to urge the Centre to implement the inner line permit in Manipur.

Shinde was quoted in the September 11 issue of The Telegraph as stating that the Manipur Assembly resolution was not sensible. “Our Constitution will not allow such things. Any sensible person who believes in the Constitution will not pass such a bill,” Shinde had said.

Speaker Thokchom Lokeshwor Singh, however, said he could not make any ruling immediately as he had not received any complaint from anyone or any report from the secretar

“The member can lodge a complaint with me about the matter and I will take up the issue in the next sitting of the state Assembly. It can then be referred to the privilege committee,” Lokeshwor assured Ibohalbi Singh.

The demand for implementation of the inner line permit influenced proceedings both inside and outside the Assembly. All shops here remained closed in support of the demand. Women vendors also staged a sit-in at all four women’s markets here.

The sit-in was organised by the Joint Committee on ILP in Manipur, a conglomerate of citizens’ groups, which is spearheading the campaign for implementation of the system. “We are not happy with the silence on the Manipur Assembly resolution and several memoranda submitted to the Centre,” R.K. Radhesana Devi, spokesperson for the women vendors, said.

The vendors said they would join every movement for implementation of the system in the state.